Golf practicing apparatus



June 6, 1950 B. c; TAYLOR GOLF PRACTICING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 1, 1948W 9 W m m w mm .w- 4

Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES hAT ENT FF ICE GOLFPBAGTICINGABBARA'EUS Basilv C. Taylor; Detroit," Mich.

Application; September 1, 1948-; Serial No; 475209 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a golf practicing apparatusand has for oneofits objects to provide a practical, instructive and interesting deviceof this character.

Another object of the invention is-toprovide a golf practicing,apparatus, employing a captive ball,,so that the device can beusedindoorsor outdoors.

The foregoing aswell as other objectsandadvantageswill be-ma'de. moreapparent as: this description proceeds, especially when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary. sectional view, with certain otherparts being brokenaway, showing a support or mounting for, the captiveball;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, with one of the parts insection, showing a modified form of means for rendering the ball captiveto its support;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.;

Figure 4 is a, fragmentary sectional view showing another modifiedmeansfor attaching-theball to its support;

Figure 5 is a detailed view of thetee upon which the ball is mountedbefore being struck.

Referring to the drawings the apparatusconsists of a platform It] whichmay be formed of any suitable material, as for instance, plywood or thelike.

The reference character l3 designates the supportforthe golf ball whichsupport will be more fully described later. The golf ball I A isattachedto thesupp'ort. l3 and rendered captive by a link or connector indicatedgenerally by the reference character l5, several forms of which will bedescribed more in detail hereafter.

It will be noted that the support i3 is in the form of a mooring mast.It may be and preferably is formed of a casting having an uprightconical-shaped portion 22 terminating at the upper end in a thickenedportion 23 and at its lower end in a horizontally disposed annularflange 24. This mooring mast is secured to the platform ID by means ofbolts, or the 1ike, 25 extending through the flange 24 and a, mat 26 ofsoft material, such as rubber of the like, is interposed between themooring mast and the platform H], to minimize noise when the ball isstruck and to provide a limited degree of resilience between the mooringmast l3 and the platform II]. For the purpose of strengthening thestructure, webs or 2. ribsll may. be provided at the juncture of theconical wall 22 and the annular flange 2,4.

Apost. 28 is rigidly secured in the thickened portion 23 of the mast andextends upwardly therebeyond. This post may v be prQVided. with.serations 29 to assist in, rigidly securing the post 28. to the mast.Mounted on the projected end of. the post 28 are a pair of bearingmembers. 30, the inner sleeves 39a, of the bearing .members rigidlyfixed to, the. post 2Bv by means. of a cap-nut Slivhich is engaged on.the threaded end of the post 28.. A look washer 3,2 vis interposedbetween the nut 3! and the upper inner sleeve member 36a of these.bearings, By' removing the nut. 3| the bearing members and the partssupported thereby may be remo.ved, if desired, fOrrepair or replacement.

The, outer sleeve members 3%. of: the bearings are adapted to be engagedby, the end, of .the link or connecttor l5. which in theformof'construction. being described isfor-med of. spring wire. In formingthis connection, the end of thewire link or connector I5. islooped twicearound the sleeve members 30b. asindicated attii and the free end isthenwound around the main. portion of the link as indicated att. to. insureagainst disengagement ofthelink when the ball is struck.

At some place in its length, thelink 4-5 is formed into. a tensionspring, 35. andthe free end is provided witha hook or other enlargement.36 Which is embedded in. the. ballby. molding the. same therein whenthe ballisformed. The tension springfifif will provide'a degree ofresilience in the connector or link. l5 which takes up the first forceof. impactof the. blow on the ball.

It will be obvious-from the description thus far that when the ball isstruck, for instance by a right hand golfer, it will swing freely in aclockwise direction around the post 28 of the mooring mast I3, theactuating sleeves 30 h of the bearings moving with the link or connectorl5 during the swinging movement.

In Figures 2 and 3 another form of link or connector is illustrated. Inthis form of construction, the link is formed of two parts, 3! and 38.The part 3'! is provided with loops 33 which extend around the bearingmembers as described in connection with the form of constructionillustrated in Figure 1. The free end of the part 38 is imbedded in theball 3% as previously described. In this form of construction, thespring portion of the link is a compression spring. In order toaccomplish this, the end of the part 31 is formed into a compressionspring 31a and the part 38 is formed into a compression spring 38a. Theends of the parts 31 and 38 overlap and their respective spring portions310, and 38a lie on opposite sides of a washer or abutment 39. Thiswasher or abutment 39 shown in detail in Figure 4 is provided with acentrally arranged elongated slot 40 through which the straight portionsof the link parts 31 and 38 extend. When the ball M is struck thetendency of the link member to elongate is resisted by these compressionsprings as will be obvious.

In Figure 4, another form of link or connector is illustrated. In thisform of construction, the link consists of a flexible cord iiimpregnated with rubber which fills the interstices of the cord andforms a sleeve or rubber wall 42 on the outside. The end of the flexiblesleeve may be enlarged as shown at 43 and imbedded in the ball I4 whenthe latter is molded or formed. The other end of the link has moldedthereto a bearing cap 44 in the form of an annular sleeve which is shownas substantially L-shaped in cross-section. In this form ofconstruction, only a single hearing 45 need be used and the bearing cap44 is engaged with the outer sleeve 45a of the bearing by a press fit.The cord 4| of the link or connector may be formed of nylon thread,fibre glass or any other suitable, flexible material which will havesuflicient strength to resist the force of the blow upon the ball.

In using the device, the ball is placed upon a tee 46 such asillustrated in Figure 5. This tee may be in the form of a sleeve formedof rubber or other suitable flexible material. It is permanently mountedin the platform i 9. One convenient means for mounting the tee in placeconsists of providing a plug 41 secured within the interior of thesleeve-like member and in cementing the lower end of the tee in anopening 48 formed in the platform I0.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the arrangement,combinations and construction of the various parts of my improvedapparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it ismy intention to cover by my claims such as may be reasonably includedWithin the scope thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A golf practicing apparatus comprising a base adapted to be mountedin fixed position, a vertically disposed shaft fixedly mounted in saidbase, a pair of bearing members mounted on said shaft, means securingsaid bearing memberls against movement axially of said shaft, saidbearing members including portions adapted to rotate relative to saidshaft and having spaced axially presenting flanges defining an annularand radially outwardly opening channel, an arm comprising a wire havinga plurality of turns at its inner end received in and having a combinedaxial extent substantially filling said channel between said flanges,and a golf ball secured to the outer end of said arm.

2. A golf practicing apparatus comprising a base adapted to be mountedin fixed position, a vertically disposed shaft fixedly mounted in saidbase, a pair of bearing members mounted on said shaft, means securingsaid bearing members against movement axially of said shaft, saidbearing members including portions adapted to rotate relative to saidshaft and having spaced axially presenting flanges defining an annularand radially outwardly opening channel, an arm comprising a Wire havinga plurality of turns at its inner end received in and having a combinedaxial extent substantially filling said channel between said flanges,the end portion of said wire making a plurality of turns about the mainportion of the wire outwardly of said first men tioned turns forsecurely anchorin said end portion, and a golf ball secured to the outerend of said arm.

3. A golf practicing apparatus comprising a base adapted to be mountedin fixed position, a vertically disposed shaft fixedly mounted in saidbase, bearing means rotatably supported on said shaft and having spacedaxially presenting flanges defining an annular radially outwardlyopening channel, an arm comprising a wire having a plurality of turns atits inner end received in and having an axial extent substantiallyfilling said channel between said flanges, and a golf ball secured tothe outer end of said arm.

BASIL C. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED fhe following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PikTEN'IS Number Name Date 649,190 Zimmerman May 8, 19001,211,026 Yeager Jan. 2, 1917 1,419,636 MacDonald June 13, 19221,690,158 Currie Nov. 6, 1928 1,975,368 Mikesell Oct. 2, 1934 2,074,146Hewel Mar. 16, 1937 2,283,277 Modine May 19, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 10,349 Great Britain A. D. 1906 447,316 Great Britain May5, 1936

